Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed listening to my colleague from Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough. He made some comments about the RCMP training centre. This is a very significant issue that sends a very strong signal about where the government is coming from when it comes to supporting our police forces.
My understanding is that the RCMP anticipates that it is going to have a 50% attrition rate over the next five-plus years. That is a very high rate of attrition. The bubble is going through in terms of the high percentage of people approaching retirement. In order to replace that natural rate of attrition a certain number of recruits must be going through the system. It would be a challenge under the very best of circumstances if that training centre were open today, but it is not and it has not been. We do not know where the government is going with all this.
What on earth can be going on in the mind of the government that would allow this to happen? Sure, it will not affect major things in six months or twelve months, but there are downstream ramifications for our national police force, which is one of the most important symbols of this country and one of the most important practical organizations we have, although it is receiving no support from over there.
I wonder if the member could elaborate on that and maybe shed some new light on the subject.